A flexographic printing machine far outweighs all its disadvantages when you need medium to long print runs. In view of certain factors and long-term business objectives, flexography is preferable to most other printing technologies.
Flexo print process is chosen by a regular Flexo print company for its quality outputs and speed. Although digitisation has been widespread in the printing industry, the appeal of flexographic printing machines is still significant.
However, you might still want to know which type of machine can be good for your purpose, business or other commercial goals. Either way, a printing machine requires a serious investment for which a well-informed decision is all you need to take. Here are a few points that show where flexography outperforms others.
Print Quality
In flexography, you don’t need special coatings to ensure quality across a wide variety of substrates. No special coatings mean reduced cost per unit. Most other printing solutions may not have compatibility with as many substrates as a flexographic printing machine does.
Production Rate
Despite the hi-tech innovations in the industry, Flexo print process is still considered and proverb to be faster than other processes. Flexographic printing machines built in 2000 to 2002 delivered 150 to 300 ft./m (FPM) on average where 400 FPM is viewed as an acceptable speed.
A Flexo print company with modern equipment can ensure greater capacity up to or even over 600 FPM, which offers businesses an opportunity to finish the job faster without losing efficiency. In addition, rotary print heads being in use enable presses to deliver continuous patterns, no matter if they are complex.
Versatility of the Process
From textile printing to label printing and everything in between, a Flexographic printing machine allows businesses to diversify their overall market appeal and stay relevant in competition. Packaging printing is another significant field of application.
Economic Benefits for Medium to High Production Runs
Digital printing has seen serious improvements over the years, but it is still slower and more expensive than the Flexo print process when it comes to production volumes from medium to high. Adopting this particular process, businesses in the labeling industry can gain considerable economic advantages.
One-Off Cost for Plates
With proper maintenance, a Flexo print plate can be reusable which makes it easy for printing businesses to handle repeat orders using only a few overheads. You can compare this with digital printing, especially for the part where you need to invest time in the setup and design. Flexo printing becomes useful on jobs that involve labour-intensive yet short volume.
Flexibility from Conversion
Many flexo presses these days come with the facilities for in-line conversion which reduces the cycle time drastically. Reduced cycle time means that you can complete most print volumes in one pass. You can integrate a good number of other in-line processes into the Flexo printing process, which include cold and hot foil, lamination, silk screen, digital print, booklet and RFID insertion, multi-layer, reverse side, and variable data print.
This printing method lets you apply several other essentials including adhesives, coatings, primers, varnishes, etc., all of which help cut the finishing time in the long run.
No Worries about Substrates
With a Flexographic printing machine, you can choose from different types of substrates, which include board, paper, plastic film, foil, recycled substrates, cellophane, and other textiles.
Ideal for a Wide Variety of Inks and Drying Items
As much as the Flexographic printing system has developed, provisions for inks and different drying systems also experienced growth in both efficiency and complexity.
If you have a Flexographic press that can be called a modern setup, it should have the right features to use both water and solvent-based inks. Popular drying mechanisms use UV driers, air heaters, or IR driers which result in increased web speed, decreased ink usage, and reduced energy consumption.
Modern printers usually have access to numerous colours as inks can be mixed to create potentially a limitless number of colors. You can even create repeatable and precise colour formulas to retain consistency without worrying about multiple substrates.
Ease of Use and Maintenance
Thinking of the good old age of the typesetting industry, one may take the cumbersome process and setup time for flexographic presses as a downside. However, modern Flexographic printing machines require a very short time for the setup and changeover procedures.
So, the question is if you can still consider a Flexographic printing machine for your business. The above points are undoubtedly in favor of this painting process and the required machine. However, a printing machine that is as old as 20-30 years may not bring you all these advantages.
Thinking about the right type of Flexographic printing machine and looking for suggestions? Feel free to write to us, so we can assist you.